Caring for Pets Stories

Penelope the cat lying down with her leg in a cast in front of her

Faces of No-Kill: TLC saves sweet mama cat

Penelope came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in rough shape with more than 50 other cats. But her sweet, spunky spirit and lots of TLC saved the day.
Recovery leads to adoption
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Kona the dog wearing a collar with mouth open in a smile

Calming care for a pup with special needs

When Kona arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, she spun in circles compulsively. Now, zoomies are the only spinning she’s doing in her new home.
Now she's back home
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Smiling caregiver holding one of the neonatal dragon kittens in gloved hands

Foster caregivers team up to save orphaned kittens

Sometimes it takes a village to save lives, and a team of foster caregivers did just that when a family of kittens landed at the Sanctuary.
Meet the cutest dragons ever
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Bug the horse outside with another horse behind her

The courageous journey of a quirky, resilient horse

From injured foal to happy horse, Bug’s story is one for the books. Now she’s snug as a bug in her new home in Canada.
It was fate
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Amy holding the orange kitten in the plane

Swift action saves pets in shelter from raging wildfire

When a wildfire in New Mexico threatened local animal shelters, Best Friends and area animal welfare organizations teamed up to save lives.
Working together to save lives
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Dr. Christina Boekhout holding Stone Cold the cat who is wearing a protective e-collar

Faces of No-Kill: Cat noses way into vet’s heart

During Stone Cold’s time in treatment for a hole in his nose, this charming gray tabby won over everyone he met — including his surgeon.
Now he's found love
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Edamommy the mama cat in a carrier with her kittens

Teamwork, tenacity, and an epic road trip save 36 cats

Planes, vans, serenading cats, and kitten stowaways highlight a cross-country trip to help a shelter manage a potentially deadly disease outbreak.
Lifesaving roadtrip
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Jessie the dog wearing an Adopt Me vest, in the back of a vehicle with Pam

Faces of No-Kill: Dog feels at home on the range

Jessie went from a heartworm patient to a Las Vegas showgirl after a chance meeting with out-of-town guests.
Now her new life is beginning
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Battleship the cat with his foster person Kerk

Faces of No-Kill: Cat finds kindred spirit in foster care

Battleship, a tabby cat with diabetes, went from shy and struggling to proud and playful thanks to foster volunteers who truly understood him.
Foster care helped him turn the corner
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Brook the dog wearing a collar and tag

Faces of No-Kill: Pup steals his way into hearts and home

Call 911: Someone stole another heart — a furry, canine someone who didn’t let a serious medical condition get in the way of charming everyone he met.
Routine leads to his best life
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Anna holding Butters the cat

One-of-a-kind cat’s personality shines after surgery

After undergoing surgery, Butters needed a comfy place to recover. But foster care wouldn’t be just a temporary stop on his journey.
Watch him in action
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Jakie Hernandez with another person doing population rounds at a shelter

A well-rounded approach to saving more dogs and cats

Best Friends is working with shelters on new ways to monitor the animals in their care and get pets out of shelters and into homes faster.
Pets are heading to homes faster
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David Reilly sitting on a couch with Rex the dog

Faces of No-Kill: Dog springs into new life on 3 legs

After having his leg amputated due to a severe injury, Rex charmed his way into his caregivers’ hearts — and a new home.
Now he's living his best life
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Skylar Clark holding Grunt the puppy

How a Texas family became heroes for sick puppies

Young Skylar Clark and her family opened their home and hearts to dogs with parvovirus — a labor of love to support pets through their local shelter.
Legacy’s Legacy now saving lives
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Huckleberry the puppy lying on a multicolored blanket

Puppies go from flaky to floofy with TLC

When three puppies came to Best Friends with severe mange, it took vet care plus loving foster homes to get them on the road to recovery and new homes.
Read how the Berry Bunch overcomes their challenges
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